This report is the latest in a series highlighting the scale of the “ongoing and intensifying pressures” facing adult social care. Its release comes exactly a week after the Government’s Autumn Budget—which left us disappointed by the disparity between NHS and social care funding and concerned by rising care costs.
The increasing level and complexity of care needs means that councils are struggling to fulfil their legal obligations to individuals accessing care and support and their carers—and yet the Government is asking them to make substantial savings. With almost a half of councils with social care responsibilities likely to apply for financial support in the coming years, without action there will be implications for the quality and availability of care and support services.
The foundations for a robust National Care Service are currently unstable. Whilst the review of Carers Allowance and the introduction of a Fair Pay Agreement are significant steps forward, social care runs as a golden thread through many of the Government’s ambitions. Refocusing the system from sickness to prevention and hospital to community, as well as the success of the 10-year health plan, are all contingent upon a healthy, thriving social care sector. This starts with reviewing the current funding frameworks, such as the Better Care Fund, and funding settlements.
Beyond funding, we need to find new ways to deliver social care more efficiently and effectively, such as through new care models and digital innovation. The spreading and scaling of innovation create new avenues for stabilising the sector. One example is digital solutions that provide local information and support to unpaid carers. We stand ready to work with the Government to help deliver their vision for the social care sector and drive the change required.
Kathryn Smith
Chief Executive of the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE)